Working in your BOE
Many JET's spend August working for the local Board of Education in their town office. As the schools are on vacation at this time, life in the BOE seems to be quiet for most of the month. However, since most of the BOE employees now have more free time during office hours, do not be surprised to find yourself the center of attention. In the beginning, this may be charming and indeed a lot of fun but the experience may start to feel unproductive as the days slowly pass.
Productive use of your time
When you first arrive, your first day at school may seem an eternity away. With this in mind, try not to forget that productive use of your time in the town office will make the transition to school life significantly easier.
Your first day at school
So, the great day finally arrives and you join the world-renowned Japanese education system. First things first, leave all your preconceptions at the front door and your school life will be much more fruitful.
First month's schedule
Actually, this is not necessarily the case. First of all, many schools schedule their school trips for the beginning of September. Try not to be surprised if you find yourself in an empty school for a few days. Also, most schools will have a Sports Day sometime in September. Leading up to the Sports Day, most classes are canceled and you will spend your time watching marching practice and cheering practice. These seemingly endless drills overwhelm many ALTs although the day itself is a lot of fun. Enjoy it as best you can and be sure to join in the fun. You can join the teachers` team and race against the PTA or you can volunteer to dress in costume.
Life after Sports Day
As will be explained, there really is no such thing as a regular schedule. The regular schedule seems to often serve as a model that is modified according to whether the first year students need to spend a period practicing the school song or the second year students need extra bowing practice or moral education etc. Lessons are generally forty-five or fifty minutes in duration. Some schools may hold a regular morning assembly once every week and this may result in changes to the schedule. All changes to the regular schedule will appear on the blackboard at the front of the staff room. This is where the kanji for the days of the week comes in useful as you can check changes in the school timetable without bothering your JTE's. However, if you see radical departures from the norm, it might be a good idea to check if a school event or meeting has been scheduled.
Teaching, self introductions and club activities
So, you have survived the town office, the school opening ceremony and even the school Sports Day. Finally, the teaching component of your job kicks off. As a newly arrived foreign teacher, the students and teachers will be anxious to know all about you. At this stage, most of you will have to make self-introduction speeches to your classes. The important thing here is to make your introductions as dynamic as possible. Use lots of photos of family, friends, pets, and vacations, and try to involve the Japanese teacher and the students as much as possible. Pass the photos around, but be aware that some classes may tear and rip things in their excitement. With this caveat in mind, it might be an idea to get some materials laminated. Also, try to vary the content of your materials. For example, you might play some of your favorite music and then ask the students what music or popular singers they like. In terms of language, it is good to check what English has been taught and try to use this where possible in your self-introductions. Finally, expect the unexpected. You will often be asked if you have a partner and you may sometimes be asked your "size". Answers such as "one hundred and eighty centimeters" will result in great hilarity. Ladies may also be asked similar "size" related questions. The best thing is to have a sense of humor about these situations.
Apart from teaching academic subjects, Japanese schools have a socialization function. Students learn to be good Japanese through club activities and these activities often take absolute precedence. Depending on the school and the club activity, some students may do club activities every day of the week. Many of us find the absolute importance of these clubs difficult to relate to but they can also be useful in helping you to settle in and develop a rapport with your students. If you have an interest in a sport, you may be allowed to join the students in their practice sessions. Alternatively, you might wander from club to club and observe the various activities on offer. However, if you join a club you will be expected to attend at the expense of your social life.
Like so many other school activities, school drinking parties rarely fail in their capacity to surprise. Following the formal speeches and "kanpai", the teachers you thought spoke no English turn out to be pretty fluent after a few glasses of liquid comfort. Perhaps, the normally sedate teacher who sits in the corner of the staff room may strip off in the middle of the party. If school often confronts you with unexpected situations, school drinking - parties will show you a completely different side to your colleagues. Again, as the new ALT, you can expect an invitation to at least one drinking party. Also, you should count on being the center of attention at the first party. Indeed, maybe these parties can teach us an essential lesson about out new lives here in Japan: just smile and enjoy the party!